Unai Simón was crowned the world's best goalkeeper at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday. The Spain first-choice goalkeeper earned the honour after his 2026 World Cup campaign.
Goalkeeper prize at the Ballon d'Or
GOAL said Simón saw off nine other leading goalkeepers to claim the prize: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez, Édouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov and Vozinha.
World Cup-winning campaign
GOAL said the 2026 World Cup triumph did most to earn Simón the honour. Simón started every game as Spain's first choice on their way to glory.
Golden Glove and goals conceded
Simón also picked up the Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper, conceding just one goal across eight matches.
Clean-sheet record
GOAL said Simón set the longest streak in the tournament's history without conceding, keeping a clean sheet for 650 consecutive minutes. GOAL said the run stretched from Simón's final two matches at the 2022 World Cup through the first six and a half games of the 2026 edition.